By Mark Squibb
When was the last time you tested your smoke alarm?
“A lot of people have smoke detectors, but not everyone checks that their smoke detectors are up to date,” said Witless Bay Fire Chief Jack Gatherall. “A 25-year-old smoke detector from when you purchased the house is not sufficient.”
The theme for this year’s Fire Prevention Week is ‘Smoke Alarms: Make Them Work for You,’ and members of the Witless Bay Fire Department are visiting local schools, including day cares, to instill that message in younger audiences.
“We’re trying to target the young kids and make sure that they get the information,” said Gatherall. “This year’s theme is a little bit more advanced than previous themes, like ‘Hear the Beep While You Sleep,’ but kids are smart, and if you tell kids they have to check their smoke alarms, they will check those smoke alarms. They’ll certainly get on mom and dad to check those smoke alarms.”
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends you install a smoke detector in every room, and that you check your smoke detectors every six months. You can check a smoke alarm by pressing and holding the test button on the alarm.
Gatherall added that if anybody has a question about their smoke alarms, or fire safety in general, they can phone the town hall, email firechief@townofwitlessbay.ca, or message the Witless Bay Volunteer Fire Department on Facebook.
The department boasts 30 members, and Gatherall said that as the region grows, the number of emergency calls has increased. Most calls, as is common across the country, are medical calls.
“Our department takes an ‘all hazards approach,’” said Gatherall. “So, we respond to pretty much any type of emergency: anything from a hazmat incident to a residential structure fire to a water rescue and everything in between.”
He said anybody wishing to join the department may submit an application.
“We’re always actively recruiting; however, we’re trying to take our recruitment in bunches,” said Gatherall. “So, if anyone is interested in joining, they can certainly submit an application and when we reach a certain number of applications, we’ll take in a group and go through a proper training process.”
From left, Witless Bay Fire Chief Jack Gatherall, firefighter Josh Glynn and firefighter Stephanie Croft get ready to perform a rope rescue training exercise. Witless Bay Volunteer Fire Department photo
